The holidays bring a number of potential poisoning hazards that citizens must be aware of, especially those who have children or pets in the home. To make your holidays as safe as possible, you might consider enacting some of the tips from the Poison Center of West Virginia included in a new report.
The first set of precautions deal with those things you might use to decorate your residence. While plants like poinsettia and mistletoe pose obvious hazards, there are things like glass candle lamps that may not lend themselves to the obvious identification of a poison hazard. If these objects use liquid fuels, there’s always the worry that a child consumes the substance. Keep them out of a child’s reach to avoid such a disaster.
If you’re planning on throwing a holiday party, then it’s your responsibility to make sure that only adults of legal age are able to drink alcohol at that soiree. Ask that your guests dispose of drinks the moment they’re through, especially if they’re partially full, and if you spot empty containers, dump the contents in the sink at once.
Certain toys may also pose a poisoning threat to your children. If an item comes equipped with a small battery, then you must make sure your child is old enough for that product and that the portion of the toy with the battery has been properly latched shut. Items with high-powered magnets also deserve caution.